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"Dhoni doesn't deserve place in Test team"

Pune, Dec 11 (IBNS) Former India selector Mohinder Amarnath came down on India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni saying he is blocking the entry of other deserving players in the team.

"Who is Dhoni to say that I want to stay there (in the team) and take this challenge (of captaining the side). What has he done?" said Amarnath, the hero for India's 1983 World Cup triumph.

"He doesn't deserve a place in the team. There are better keeper-batsmen in the country. They are not getting an opportunity because he is the captain," Amarnath was quoted as saying by Times Now.

Amarnath, who was a selector from north, was widely tipped to take over as the chairman of selectors but was surprising dropped from the panel due to his difference with BCCI president N.Srinivasan over Dhoni continuing as a captain.

Amarnath said Dhoni has been retained as the Test captain despite majority of the selectors agreeing that he should have been sacked after eight successive Test defeats in England and Australia.

"Definitely, there were discussions to replace Dhoni and people were argeeing to do so but for some internal reason, it didn't happen. I will not like to divulge what were the reasons. But when the time is right, I will let the people of this country know about the reasons," Amarnath said.

"In Indian politics and cricket, it's always the same. There are people who are controlling the game and other people are scared to take a stand," he said.

"I believe that Dhoni should be removed as captain from the Tests. He hasn't set the Test stage on fire. A captain's place in the team should be secure and I don't see his place secured in the side. He doesn't have the technique for Test cricket," Amarnath said.

Amarnath feels Dhoni has been given an extended run because he led the team to a World Cup victory last year.

"He has been captaining the team for the last one year because India won the World Cup. We are talking about one-day cricket here and not Test cricket," he said.

Amarnath feels selectors should get a free hand in selecting the team.

"I am a person who doesn't believe in being controlled. I love to do my work freely. I don't think there should be interference in selector's job," he said.

Amarnath also believes that it was time for the selectors to talk to Sachin Tendulkar about his retirement.

"Look age has everything to do in life. Even players like Javed Miandad, Brian Lara found it difficult once they crossed mid-30's. So selectors should sit and speak with Sachin," he said.